Wreaths Across America: From Small-Scale Remembrance to Nationwide Observance

Wreaths are entwined in world history at an incredible level. From representing victory in battle to symbolizing cruel, undeserved mockery of a divine figure, they weave an intricate tale. Somewhere in the midst of it all, the modern-day Christmas wreath made its way into the picture. Worcester Wreath has become an integral component of the ongoing story with its wreaths across america program.

How It All Started

As a boy, company owner Morrill Worcester journeyed to Washington D.C. While there, he visited Arlington National Cemetery. This site lingered in his memory as a continual reminder of the sacrifices made by the nation's veterans. He decided to pay tribute to these brave, selfless men and women in a special way, one near and dear to his own heart.

Humble Beginnings

Worcester ultimately found himself with a number of extra wreaths one holiday season, and this sparked an idea. He decided to send those wreaths to Arlington National Cemetery to honor veterans. Members of the community quickly jumped on board, doing what they could to help foster the effort. The first wreath-placing event was accompanied by a special ceremony, and this became an annual tradition. It started out small with only a few hundred wreaths, but it spread like wildfire from there.

Taking it to a National Level

Wreath-laying ceremonies took place for several years, going on largely unnoticed by the general public. In 2008, matters took a turn. On that year, December 13 was declared Wreaths Across America Day. Since then, the event has continued to grow and spread. More than 300 separate locations observed the occasion in 2008, lovingly placing over 100,000 wreaths on veterans' graves. On last count, the number of ceremonies had grown to 1,000 with more than 700,000 wreaths being put into place.

No doubt, the wreath count will continue to swell, as will the number of ceremonies, volunteers and attendees involved in the process. What started off as a small-scale act of remembrance has blossomed into a nationwide event remaining true to its original purpose. Over the centuries since wreaths made their first appearances, they've meant a number of different things. Today, they're largely a symbol of love everlasting as well as holiday cheer, and the brightness is sure to continue spreading.